Help! My Co-Worker Smells Like Something that Rhymes with CRASS!
Dear Ms. Prim,
I have a problem that smells to high heaven. You see, I work with a guy who smells bad, I mean awful. He smells like some unspeakable combination of sewage and Dollar Store aftershave. It’s becoming a real issue at work. I work with a bunch of people who are uber-polite and have no balls. No one wants to say anything to him. This is a problem because I don’t want to face him alone. At least I could launch a little hygiene intervention if my friends had my back, but they’re too spineless to help, so it’ll just seem like me being a whiny you-know-what. Seriously, though, I can’t keep working with this guy like this. What should I do?
-DrHorrible12
Dear DrHorrible12,
Darling, I totally know where you’re coming from. More than once, I’ve had to work with someone who was a stinky little you know what. It can be really distracting and demoralizing. It’s not something anyone should really have to bear.
I remember I once worked in a quaint little flower shop on the far side of town with a young woman who smelled like wet dog. That poor baby’s odor was so pungent that even the flora throughout the store couldn’t cover it up. Eventually, I got up the nerve to tell her about it, and you'd be surprised at how it worked out. Apparently, she had been bathing her dogs before going to bed and forgetting to take a shower before coming in to work. She hadn’t thought anyone would notice. Much to my surprise (and to my nose's delight!), she thanked me for telling her and started bathing right before bed. Honey, I had customers who noticed!
So sweetheart, my advice to you is to find a way to be direct but
also polite. Build up your courage, go right up to this coworker,
and tell him he smells like the backside of a dead opossum! No…
probably not that. Just tell him, "You're a great guy to work
with, and this is difficult to say, but I value our ability to
work with each other enough to be honest with you. You have a
small issue with a little B.O." You seem to be worried about
appearing impolite in contrast to your other coworkers, but
here’s something you might not know: If you confront this guy in
the right way, you’ll actually be the polite one, not them.
By smelling like a rotting foot, this guy is hurting his own
reputation and his job performance. It’s more polite to tell him
the truth and give him a chance to change his ways than to say
nothing and let him persist in his blessed little ignorance.
You’ll be doing him a big favor compared to everyone else. So, by
all means, approach him and tell him the truth. It’s the best
thing you could do.
Got a question? I promise I've got an opinion! msprim@igniteisonline.com
Miss Prim likes to think that the occasional pearl of wisdom falls from her mouth, but the only thing she's licensed to do is drive a car (and, honey, have you seen her driving?!)
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